


Countdown- A Collection of Oneshots

by YourAverageBookworm



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 19:46:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1197192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourAverageBookworm/pseuds/YourAverageBookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At this point, some of these fics are a couple years old, I think.</p><p>This started out as a place to post my writing in my countdown for The Last Guardian, and now it's basically just become a place I'll post a short fic when I write one.</p><p>So as the title says, a collection of sad/ serious/ fun one-shots</p><p>WARNING: Chapter 3 contains spoilers for The Last Guardian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Loss

**Author's Note:**

> All of these fics are actually quite old (shame on me). I just made an ao3 and wanted to put something on it, and I'm still proud of all of these.
> 
> Short poemfic. I do not own Artemis Fowl or Holly Short, but I do own the poem, and I'm kind of proud of it. I wrote it a couple years ago, I think.

            Ironically enough, it was a sunny day. But then again, nothing could ever be expected when dealing with Artemis Fowl. A small, cool wind blew the hair out of her face and nearly toppled her over. She was weak and she knew it, but she didn’t know why. Taking a small breath, she made her way over the hill. The ruins of the yard were almost comically eerie in how stereotypical they were. Crumbling statues stared longingly off into the distance and the withered husks of rose petals were crushed underneath her feet.

            It was what was after the garden that was beautiful. A little beyond the ruins was a small field with patches of flowers here and there, and a huge oak tree than had grown next to a trickle of a stream. She made her way over to the tree and sat down with a soft thump.

_Heroes and dying legacies_  
Civilizations brought before their knees  
Broken statues with dreams unseen  
But time can’t stand still

 

“So we meet again, Artemis Fowl,” she whispered with a small smile. The pillow-shaped, flat stone in the ground stared up at her silently. Her smile suddenly disappeared as she traced the engraved words, “Artemis Fowl II” with her finger. Everything she had meant to say, all the witty comments and updates, died in her throat, and she lay down, putting her head next the stone slab. They had been through so much together, and now it was gone- swallowed up by time and mortality as if it never had been. She didn’t know how long she lay there with her eyes half closed and her hand on the stone. Time seemed to stretch, and the sun stayed perpetually on the same spot in the sky. Eventually, she sat up, her face blank, and flew away.

_Forgotten races long since gone_  
A droplet in a shallow pond  
A sorrowful lament, not quite a song  
But time won’t stand still

 

The wind rustled the grass in the field, and a leaf from the tree drifted down onto the water-stained stone.

_She whispered the words and dried her eyes_

_A million thoughts in her good-byes_

_The sun, it passed softly through the skies_

_And time stood still_


	2. Progression

**_6 months_ **

                The woman smiled down at the baby she held in her arms. “You,” she whispered, “are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I bet your father agrees with me. Right Timmy?”

                “Mm. He’s lovely. Listen honey, I have to leave for the night. My men are getting worried about our… lack of funds. We’re having a meeting to talk about it.”

                The woman’s forehead creased with worry. “Now? What about little Arty? He needs a father too. We have plenty of money- the meeting can wait.” He’d been leaving so often.

                “You know how important the business is to me.”

                “And you know how important raising Arty is to me.”

                They stared at each other silently for a few moments, neither willing to give in first. Eventually, the man’s face softened slightly. “I promise I’ll get back as soon as I can. Then we can take him to the park or something.”

                “Well… I suppose one night is fine. But this had better be the last one.”

                “Love you.” He kissed her on the cheek before adjusting his tie and leaving. The door swung shut behind him. 

                The woman glanced down at her child again. “We don’t need your father right now, do we?” The baby stared solemnly back up at her. She was so worried about him. He almost never cried, which would have been fine if he just smiled more often. Sometimes she even got the feeling that he could understand what they were saying, but that was ridiculous. He was only six months old after all. She started to sway him back and forth, humming softly. Her only problem was probably that she was worrying too much. Her friends always _had_ teased her for being such a worrywart.

 

**_5 years_ **

                No one would approach him.

                Everyone with an ounce of common sense knew to stay away from the strange, pale boy with the bodyguard who followed him everywhere. First, he was obviously much too young to even _be_ in their school. Then, ignoring his giant of a bodyguard, his caustic wit and intelligence alienated anyone who even tried to talk to him.

                Not that Artemis really cared. He’d be moving on soon anyway, and he didn’t share his mother’s strange need for him to have friends.

“Friends,” he’d scoffed. “I have an intellect that rivals Einstein’s. I doubt I need _friends._ ” His body guard stayed silent at this comment. Later, he couldn’t help but notice Artemis’s grim face as he made his way through the wide space between him and the crowds of laughing, chattering children.

 

 

**_14 years_ **

“Artemis, you know how much I dislike it when you stay up too late. You’ve been getting two hours of sleep for the past three days. ” Angeline’s voice echoed through the halls of Fowl Manor, eventually reaching Artemis’s door.

Startled, Artemis yawned and blinked his eyes a few times. Had it really been three days? Perhaps he did need a small break. But only a small one and then it was back to his project. He shut the lid to his laptop and made his way down the twisting stairs. Slowly, he walked past his mother and opened the fridge, searching for something.

Angeline sighed. “Coffee’s on the second shelf.” So he was pulling another near all-nighter again.

“Hm?” Artemis turned around holding a carton of milk.

Surprised, Angeline looked from Artemis to the milk, then back again. “You’re not…?”

“I thought I’d have a glass of warm milk before I went to bed.”

He was actually listening to her.

“And mothe-mum?”

“Yes?”

“Holly has a day off next week. Would you mind if I showed her around Fowl Manor?”

“Of course Arty. But I have to meet her.” Artemis’s mother shook her head, trying to hide a smile. So that’s what he’d been after. Things had changed so much throughout Artemis’s life, and she’d been so worried. _But despite everything that has happened, he couldn’t have turned out better._ She breathed a sigh of relief and watched Artemis return to his room holding a cup of steaming milk.


	3. Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The funeral was private.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THE LAST GUARDIAN SPOILERS
> 
> This takes place before Artemis comes back.
> 
> I didn't write this story for my countdown, but I felt it should be here anyway. This is actually something I wrote for a 30 day writing challenge (you get a different theme each day). Since I finished TLG, I couldn't stop thinking about Artemis Fowl, and therefore every theme I saw reminded me of it somehow. I finally decided to write a fanfic and ended up with this. The theme was haze.

The funeral was private. Even Holly wasn’t allowed in. True, it was mainly because Artemis Fowl Senior still had no clue of her existence, but it stung nevertheless. She wasn’t even supposed to be above ground now, due to the massive clean-up going on in Haven. They needed every officer they could get. Luckily, before she decided to sneak above ground anyway, Trouble had approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. This was as much permission as she knew she was going to get, so she took the opportunity to leave right away. Now, she was watching the funeral from a nearby hill.

She crept up into one of the taller trees decorating the hillside and squinted against the rays of the setting sun in the distance. A small figure- Myles- was giving a small speech about Artemis, something that would normally have caused Holly to smile. She could see Angeline crying on her husband’s shoulder, Beckett actually standing still for once, and Juliet hanging her head. _Poor Juliet. She must blame herself partially for… Artemis._

Holly still wasn’t willing to accept, or at least voice to herself, the fact that Artemis was gone. But despite her efforts to ignore it, the dark coffin stood out among the mourners, cold and unfeeling. Her eyes were constantly drawn to it, as if proving that she couldn’t ignore the truth.

Granted, Foaly _did_ have something he was working on, but it was a small hope- weak at best.  _What are the chances that this will work?_ Once upon a time Holly would have relied on those chances, as they were all that she _could_ rely on. Seeing Artemis bet his life on chances and die in front of her eyes had changed that.

Eventually, the body was buried, and the Fowls and Juliet slowly made their way over the hillside and back to Fowl Manor. Once she was sure that they were gone, Holly slid down the tree and walked over to the grave, staring at the cities beyond. None of the Mud Men were even aware what had happened. They’d attribute it to some freak accident of nature, a failed Armageddon. None of them knew how close they’d all come to dying. None of them knew what sacrifices had been made to prevent it. Once upon a time it would have made Holly angry. Now she was just sad.

The grave felt cold to the touch, and Holly was seized with a sudden urge to dig the soil from the ground and tear out the coffin. She closed her eyes and imagined it. She’d open the coffin and see Artemis. He’d suddenly cough a few times, squeezing his eyes shut, and when he opened them, he would be completely alive. It was all a big joke. Artemis _did_ have a way of cheating his death- after all, he’d done it so many times before. This time he needed them to believe he was dead in order for it to succeed. She would punch him for worrying her, hug him, and then walk him back to Fowl Manor to tell everyone the good news.

Holly wasn’t aware that she was crying until the tears fell off of her chin and hit the grave. She stood up hurriedly, wiping her eyes and staring at the mound of soil. Some part of her had died with Artemis and was lying with his body, buried beneath. The rest of her was numb and tired and sad.

“It should have been me,” she whispered to no one in particular.

Suddenly, she felt a small tingling sensation on her shoulder, as if someone had put a hand there. She whipped around, half expecting to see Artemis standing there with his mismatched eyes bright and cunning, smiling at her.

Instead she saw the bones of buildings, and a grove of trees on a hillside.

Her mind knew that Artemis was gone; it told her not to expect anyone, but her heart had hoped nonetheless. And it still hurt just as much. She dropped to her knees and leaned over the grave, crying.

A small haze floated to the side of her shoulder, watching her cry. It put a hand on her cheek and softly whispered, “Holly.”

But the whisper was caught in the wind, and even if it hadn’t been, it wouldn’t have made a sound.


	4. Happier Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve, and Artemis is waiting for a certain someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick, super-short Christmas fic I wrote to go along with a picture I drew. This site seems kind of dead, so I thought I'd post it here.
> 
> It takes place after Opal Deception, and there is slight A/H shipping (in case people are really against it).
> 
> Hope you enjoy and Happy very-late Holidays!

The sounds of laughter had faded from the house a few hours ago when Artemis’s parents had gone to bed. Only the stronger smells of cinnamon and peppermint still remained, traces from his mother’s favorite holiday perfume.

Artemis had been working for so long though, that he barely even registered the smell. The glow from his computer was the only light in the room, and it seemed to sap the color from everything it touched, from the overcrowded fireplace to the heavily decorated tree in the corner of the room (his mother’s touches, of course). It seemed like Angeline had been overcompensating for nearly every single holiday since Artemis Senior had returned. This year had been particularly bad, most likely due to the fact that Artemis himself had seemed more tolerant of it. The mind wipe’s effects had been reversed after all, and although Angeline and Artemis Sr. had no idea where the sudden change in their son had come from, they embraced it wholeheartedly. Fowl Manor was decked in reds, greens, and golds, and it was safe to say that Artemis had never seen it like this. Certainly not when he was younger.

The thought of his younger self made a slight smile to his lips. Once upon a time he had stayed awake to determine whether Santa did actually exist, and now he stayed awake to finish up his projects. He closed the lid of his computer with a quick sigh and stretched. Perhaps saying that his sole reason for being awake into Christmas was work was an exaggeration. He had been expecting someone for a few hours now, but it was like her to be late.

He was therefore not surprised when the doorbell rang. The Butlers had been given the day off, so Artemis opened the door himself (without doing the usual checks. Butler would have lectured him severely for that, but Butler didn’t have to find out.). Sure enough, he was greeted by an empty doorway and a slightly hazy night sky.

“Come in.” He stepped aside and waited a few seconds before closing the door. “No one else is awake.”

There was a small sigh of relief, and two figures blurred into view. Well, it was more accurately one considering that one of them was carrying the other.

“Thanks,” Trouble said. “Shielding doesn’t use much magic, but it’s still a drain. Especially when you’re shielding for two.”

 Artemis glanced down at the snoring person in his arms with a smile. “How was the office party?”

Trouble half-grimaced. “Loud, boisterous, and full of too much drinking. Which is more than fine by me usually, except Sool was there this time and we, eh, _forgot_ to mention that we had invited Holly.”

Artemis nodded. It explained Holly’s condition at least. “I’ll take her from here.”

Trouble gave him a look. “I’m only dropping her off here because she specifically asked to be. You should have seen her at the party. Wouldn’t shut up about it.” He raised his voice to a higher pitch that would have gotten him punched if Holly were awake. “’Can’t wait to see that Mudboy’s face when I show up at his house.’ She was talking about shaking you out of your bed. I should have known you’d be awake anyway. Just don’t get any funny ideas.”

“Don’t worry, Captain. She’ll be safe with me.”

Trouble grumbled a bit, but laid her in Artemis’s arms. “Happy Christmas, Mudboy. Here’s to hoping nothing catastrophic happens that makes us see each other again this year.”

“Likewise.”

Once Trouble had faded from view, Artemis watched the door open and close before laying Holly down on a couch so she was sitting up. There a small box clutched in her hands, and without even looking at the tag, Artemis knew it was for him.

He gently pried the light blue package out and pulled at the ribbon. A Santa hat was lying on top, and he picked it up, bemused. A small card tumbled out with loopy, messy looking handwriting.

_Happy Christmas, Artemis! Thought you could use a little “Christmas cheer” to go along with that heart you seem to be growing. I enclosed a gift from Haven too. Think of it as a reminder of what you’ve saved._

 

Sure enough, the box contained a small branch with a few, oddly shaped leaves. It didn’t look familiar to Artemis, and he realized that it must be native to Haven alone.

Smiling, he sat down next to Holly on the couch and shook her slightly. “Holly?”

Her response was a few unintelligible mumbles and a shift in her sleep which involved using him as a pillow.

Artemis leaned back to stare at the ceiling. Perhaps he should wake Holly, but moments like this were few and far between. He’d wake her before his parents awoke and thank her properly, but for now he was content to relax in the faint light of the cool morning and listen to the sound of her breathing.


	5. Friends and Family

An Artemis Fowl fanfiction of about 900 words about and in celebration of his birthday. Didn’t feel like drawing, so I wrote this kind of quickly but not really. Hey, it’s technically still September 1st where I am.

Warnings: Major spoilers for _The Last Guardian_ and an excessive amount of cheesiness. And it’s not really that A/H-y, I think.

Sorry if it’s bad. I’m a little out of practice.

“Are you sure I have to do this?”

            “Positive. Every birthday boy _must_ wear a birthday hat. It’s tradition.”

            Artemis held as still as he could while Juliet affixed a small cardboard cone to his head and tied it off. She stepped back and looked him up and down with a suspiciously wide grin on her face. “It’s perfect.”

            He tugged at the string biting uncomfortably near his neck. “And I’ve done this every birthday since I was one? Strangely enough, I don’t remember this.”

            “Your memory still must be catching up. I can definitely vouch for all the years I’ve celebrated with you.” Holly had somehow silently snuck into the room. Not that it was a surprise anymore, really. She was becoming quite adept at sneaking around Fowl Manor now that she’d had a chance to wander around for a few weeks. When Artemis had come back, Holly taken time off work to help him recover and remember, and she hadn’t left his side since. He knew he would owe Trouble for that, because the LEP currently needed all the help they could get with the rebuilding efforts. After all, “Armageddon” had only happened about three months ago.

It was strange to think that. Buildings had toppled, cities destroyed, thousands dead. It was only yesterday that they had received word of plans for the first official fairy-human meeting. Nothing would ever be the same. And yet, here he was, doing something as ordinary as celebrating his birthday with his family. Perhaps it was a testament to the tenacity of humans and fairies alike. Life moves on, no matter what.

He turned to face Holly and noticed the corner of her mouth twitch fractionally. This, combined with the sound of Juliet’s barely repressed giggles behind him clued him in that he was missing something. “Alright. What is it?”

“Nothing,” said Holly, completely straight faced. “We were just noticing how… _striking_ you look in that party hat.”

Ah. So there was something wrong with the hat. He marched out of his room, found the nearest mirror on the wall, and was greeted by an image of himself staring grimly back. Aside from the customary ridiculousness of wearing a party hat meant for kindergarteners, it appeared that someone had taken the liberty of writing “DUNCE” in huge letters down the front. The N was backwards.

Juliet appeared behind him, still giggling. “Mulch got to your hat before I did. It’s not technically my fault.”

“I would never have guessed, what with his flawless English.”

Artemis knew Foaly, Minerva, and Mulch, were waiting downstairs along with the rest of his family. Juliet and Holly were only helping him get ready, but the even the thought made his hands shake slightly. It was the first time he’d seen all of them together like this. For some of them, it was their first time seeing him after his death. Of course, Holly noticed his anxiety.

“Juliet, can you go get the cake ready? I’m going to help Artemis get rid of his hat.”

Juliet pouted. “The hat completes his outfit. But fine, I’ll go get everything prepared.”

She descended a long set of spiral stairs, leaving Holly and Artemis alone. She grabbed one of his hands and led him back into his room. “Don’t worry too much about it, Artemis. No one will treat you any differently.” Holly was too perceptive sometimes.

He tried to change the subject but was too obvious about it and he knew it. “I was just appreciating your shirt.”

She glanced down briefly at the “Randomosity” shirt she was wearing (she’d been borrowing his and Juliet’s old clothes during her stay). “Appreciating that you’re not wearing it, maybe. Don’t change the subject, Artemis.”

It was useless. He’d known it would be. He sighed, and something must have shown on his face, because Holly suddenly threw her arms around him. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re alive, and that’s all that matters now.”

And it was easy for her to say, because for her, it was over. She didn’t have to live with the guilt of knowing he’d put his family and Butler through hell for a second time. And this time it wasn’t just them. He’d heard stories of how broken up Juliet had been when she’d come back into her own mind. She’d blamed herself for his death.

Granted, he didn’t even know how Holly had reacted because she refused to let anyone tell him. Ever since he’d come back, they’d been even closer than before. But sometimes he would notice that her smiles were a little too bright or he’d catch her touches lingering a little too long, as if unsure whether this was really real. It hurt, a little too much, to think of what they must have all been through the past three months.

Tentatively, he put his arms around her and pulled her closer. They stayed like that, for a few seconds, and if he whispered, “I’m sorry,” she, knowing him as well as she did, kept silent.

They pulled apart, and she smiled up at him. It was a soft, knowing sort of grin, and for some reason, it made him feel slightly better.

“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go meet your family.”

As soon as they’d made it off the last step, they were greeted by a loud, “SURPRISE,” as if everyone hadn’t been preparing for this for the last few days. At the sight of everyone all together, something relaxed inside of him. These were his friends. He knew them, and they, him.

Somewhere between Mulch making an inappropriate revival joke, Foaly complaining to him about the rebuilding efforts, and seeing his parents’ and Butler’s happy smiles, Artemis realized Holly was right.

This was his family.


End file.
